Spring construction



May 25, 1943.

A. W. MOSKE SPRING CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 17, 1940 glwuam com WMU SKE ALEXA NDEF? Patented May 25 1943 i Alexander W. Moske Jackson, Mich assignor to Reynolds Spring Company, Jackson, Mich; a

corporation of Delaware Application October 17, 1940', Serial No. 3613501 5 Claims. (Cl. HS -P79) The present invention relates to automobile seat cushion springs and more particularly to cushion springs comprised of a plurality of spiral springs disposed on end side by side;

' Automobile seat cushionsprings composed of spiral springs in parallel rows side by side gen erally have the top coils thereof connected together by pig rings so asto provide aflexible but substantially non-extensible surface. The resultis that when a load is placed on the cushion, as for instance, a person sitting thereon, and the cushion is deflected inwardly, the ine'x'terisibility of the top surface results in the border of the cushion beingdrawn inwardly. According to the present invention the top coils ofthe springs are connected together insuch a manner as to be slightly displaceable wi-tli respectto each other, whereby the cushion ismade softer not only because there is not ageneral d i'sto'rtion-of the frame of the cushiondu'e'to the inextensibility of the top thereof-,butalso because the individual-spiral springs are permitted to-act individually, thereby more readily conforming to the-- shape of-the person sitting thereon;

'An object of" the invention isto provide aseat cushion spring comprised of' spiral sr'irings on end, supported in a border frame; having a top surface composed of t a plurality of ton coils of the helical springs fastened together insuch a manner as to permit relative displacement;

whereby the individual coils-are provided with a' greater freedom-0f individual action.

An'otherobject of theinvention is to provide a=seat cushion spring comprised of a plurality of spiral springs' ha ving' the top-coils thereof substantially disposed inagehral plane and"p'igf ringed together in-such a manner as to permit lateraldisplacement of the said coilsf withrespect to each other to permit relative" freedom of individual action of'tlie springs;

These and other'objects residing in the arrangement, combination and construction" of the parts Will be apparent from the followings'pecifi cation when taken with the accompanying"d'ra\v'-* Wire frame of conventionalcbn'st'ruction of a" seatcushion' construction within whiclf'a're dis posed a'plurality 'of' spiral springs Z'Zarranged' 'n' laterally"extending rowsl' Thesp'riiigs 2 are en' been-found desirabl'e-to have the sprin cased fabric pockets 3- u are known in the art as beifig of the argin-11 type; V

n the are" he, the top r Fig. 1 represents ther'eer' or the gushes; and the? steamer Fig. 1

- represents the frontof" the cushion: Immediatel-yifr from or the rear raw or springs 2 which are fabric covered is a row of bare springs 4. In front or the row of bare springs 4 is another row offabric covered sprmg's 2 and betwn this row of fabric covered springs Zan'd the rear row of the" fr'on't three" rows of fabric covered springs 2 is another row'of bar'e'sp'r ings' 4'. It will be observe froiiithe drawing that the; bare springs 4' a hf nested relation with the fabric covered spr ngs 2"; and that the fabric covered springs 2 eitend lat I y in each: direction into contact with the sides of the frame I; The rows of springs 4; however, start: inwardly pom thesides of the pane due'to t heir'nested relation' with the springs}; It is preferred-that thesprings 2 viii-thin the fabric pockets 3' be of cylindrical form and that the springs 4- be of hour-g'lassorm. However; this alialflgell'leillt" lSf IlQt e$Sen tial to the mvenuon.- Furthermore while it ha s iy larger in diameter than the springs 4, thisa rrangement is not an essentialfeatureof the invention. v V

Itiwill'be understood by thoseskilled in the'art that the frame I is in generally rectangular -out-' line aindmay' lie within' a: single plane" or mey; be

slightly curved from n ne-w back; depending on" the e'Xact'seat" construction"desired: However, generally; th'e'frame I is flafi and the top coils of the springs 2' and? lie' within thegeneral plane thereof, the contour of the finisl'ie'd seat being providedbypa'dding and upholstering covering' the same. The lower ends of: the springs 2 are dispos'edin'a lower frame structure, not

shown, and are supported with respect thereto ina' conventional manner l A'ljs'ofina conventional manner the" top "and bottom" framepor t'ionfs are braced with respect to; each other. I

The'topcoils of the'springs; 2 and 4 are disposed substantially tangentiarre'la'tionto each ther ain'ditdthe' bUrdI Wir""I a'ssh'dwn". Pig

ringsi are employed'to connect the top coils of the border springs 2 to the border wire I) and v igriiigsjs are em loyed to connect adjacent top coils of the springs? and' l' together; at the pointsthey-tangentially efigag'ei Anirnpo'rta'n't feature" of theinveiition is 'thefa'c't-fthat' the springs, 2

arespa'ce'd laterally substantialiy mere than they" are spac'dfroiri fr'dlit" to'b'a'tiki," V

In conventional 'spr'in'g constructions; wherein all of the coil springs are in rows both laterally and from front to back, as shown for instance in Patent No. 2,002,158, a load placed on the top of the springs, such as a person sitting thereon, will cause the top surface of the cushion structure to be deflected downwardly. Since each of the top coils of the cushion springs are connected rigidly together both laterally and from front to rear, the downward deflection of the top surface will result in an inward deflection of the border frame. Such an inward deflection is particularly undesirable as it occurs for the most part along the front edge of the seat and not only tends to pull the front of the seat out of shape, but also the inextensibility of the top ing operation. Furthermore, the nested relation of the bare springs 4 results in a savings in the number of springs required, since there is a saving of one spring for each row of bare springs 4 over a conventional construction wherein all of the springs are side by side from front to back and laterally.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim is:

- 1. In an automobile seat cushion spring, a generally rectangular top border frame, a plurality of laterally extending rows of spiral springs dissurface prevents the individual functioning of the springs of the cushion construction.

In the use of the spring structure, according to the present invention, when a person places his weight on the top of the construction, the connection between the front and back frame portions extends due to the fact that the pig rings 6 slide along top coils of the bare springs 4 This sliding action has the effect of providing a slack in the connection between the front and back portions of the border frame I, with the result that the downward displacement of any part of the top of the spring structure has less of a tendency to deflect the border wire I inwardly than would be the case if there were no slack or extensibility provided. Thus, for a given load on the seat structure, the frame I, which due to the shape thereof and placement of the load, is usually bowed inwardly in the front, has its shape preserved or altered only slightly. Consequently, the to surface of the spring structure will sink lower under a given load, thereby having a softer cushioning action. Also, since there is an effective slack between the top coils of the springs 2 and 4, the springs 2 and 4 are given a greater freedom of individual action than would be possible for example in the conventional prior art structures wherein there is a straight line connection betweerrthe top coils of the springs of the structure and the border frame. As a result the spring structure is more comfortable because it more readily conforms to the shape of a person sitting thereon.

The springs 2 are spaced laterally a greater distance than from front to back in order to favor extensibility in a direction from front to back, since the front to back dimension of the cushion spring structure is less than the lateral dimension thereof, and therefore a load placed on the top of the structure is more likely to result in a deflection of the front border or rear border of the seat cushion than the side borders. In the preferred arrangement shown with only two rows of nested bare springs 4, arranged toward the rear portion of the seat cushion construction, the region of extensibility is located at the portion of the seat cushion construction which normally receives the concentrated load in use. Nevertheless,it will be understood that the bare springs 4' may be placed in alternate rows throughout the entire cushion structure from front to back if desired without departing from the spirit of the invention.

From the foregoing specification, it will be apparent that there are other advantages than those enumerated therein. For instance,'since the bare springs 4 are placed in alternaterows there is a saving in fabric pockets 3, and at the same time, no adjacent bare springs which might result in metal to metal contact with resulting noise durposed on end within said border frame and encased in fabric pockets, a plurality of laterally extending rows of bare spiral springs disposed on end within said border frame, said rows of bare spiral springs being alternated with certain rows of fabric encased springs, the outer rows of springs being encased, the springs of said bare rows of springs being in nested relation to the springs of said fabric encased rows of springs, said fabric encased springs being spacedlaterally a greater distance than from front to back, all of said springs having top coils disposed under normal conditions substantially in a general plane, said top coils being in substantial tangential engagement with one and another, pig rings connecting said top coils together at adjacent points, and pig rings connecting border coils to said border frame, said pig ring connected coils providing a surface constituting an extensible connection between opposite sides of said frame, said connection being extensible due to the sliding of certain of said pig rings on the bare top .coils when a load is placed on the top of said top coils, whereby when a load is placed on said top coils, each spring is provided with a, greater freedom of individual action than would be obtainedif all the coils were pig r nged together in a straight line normal to the sides of said border frame.

2. In an automobile seat cushion spring, a generally rectangular top border frame, aplurality of laterally extending rows-ofspiral springs disposed on end within said border frame,;a plurality of laterally extending rows of supplementary spiral'springs disposed on end within said border frame, said rows of supplementary springs being alternated with certain rows of said first named springs, the springs of saidsupplee mentary rows of springs being in nested relation,

having top coils disposed under normal conditions substantially in ageneral plane, said top,

coils being in substantial tangential engagement with. one another, pig rings connecting said top; coils together at adjacent points, and pig rings,

connecting border coils to said border frame, said pig ring connected coils providing a surface con-1 stituting an extensible connection between opposite sides of said frame, said connection being extensible due to the sliding of certain of said 3. In an automobile seat cushion spring, a generally rectangular top border frame, a plurality of laterally extending rows of spiral springs disposed on ,endwithin said border frame, a plurality of laterally extending rows of reduced di-" ameter spiral springs disposed on end within said border frame, said rows of reduced diameter springs being alternated with certain rows of said first named springs, the springs of said reduced diameter rows of springs being in nested relation to said first named springs, said first named springs being spaced laterally a greater distance than from front to back, all of said springs having top coils disposed under normal conditions substantially in a general plane, said top coils being in substantial tangential engagement with one another, pig rings connecting said top coils together at adjacent points, and pig rings connecting border coils to said border frame, said pig ring connected coils providing a surface constituting an extensible connection between opposite sides of said frame, said connection being extensible due to the sliding of certain of said pig rings on the reduced diameter top coils when the load is placed on the top of said top coils, whereby when a load is placed on said top coils each spring is provided with a greaterfreedom of individual action than would be obtained if all the coils were pig ringed together in a straight line normal to the sides of said border frame.

4. In an automobile seat cushion spring, a generally rectangular top border frame, a plurality of laterally extending rows of spiral springs disposed on end within said border frame, a plurality of laterally extending rows of supplementary spiral springs disposed on end within said border frame, said rows of supplementary springs being alternated with certain rows of said first named; springs, the springs of said supplementary rows of springs being in nested relation to said first named springs, said first named springs being spaced laterally a greater distance than from front to back, all of said springs having top coils disposed under normal conditions substantially in a general plane, said top coils being in substantial tangential engagement with one another, fabricpockets encasing at least the springs of said first named rows of springs adjacent said supplementary springs, pig rings connecting said top coils together at adjacent points, and pig rings connecting border coils tosaid border frame, said pig ring connected coils providing a surface constituting an extensible connection between opposite sides of said frame, said connection being extensible due to the sliding of certain of said pig rings on the supplementary top coils when the load is placed on the top of said top coils, whereby when a load is placed on said top coils each spring is provided with a greater freedom of individual action than would be obtained if all the coils were pig ringed together in a straight line normal to the sides of said border frame.

5. In an automobile seat cushion spring, a generally rectangular top border frame, a plurality of laterally extending rows of spiral springs disposed on end within said border frame, a plurality of laterally extending rows of reduced diameter spiral springs disposed on end within said border frame, said rows of reduced diameter springs being alternatedwith certain rows of said first named springs, the springs of said reduced diameter rows of springs being in nested relation to said first named springs, said first named springs being spaced laterally a greater distance than from front to back, all of said springs having top coils disposed under normal conditions substantially in a general plane, said top coils being in substantial tangential engagement with one another, fabric pockets encasing at least the springs of said first named rows of springs adjacent said reduced diameter springs, pig rings connecting said top coils together at adjacent points, and pig rings connecting border coils to said border frame, said pig ring connected coils providing a surface constituting an extensible connection between opposite sides of said frame, said connection being extensible due to the sliding of certain of said pigrings on the reduced diameter top coils when the load is placed on the top of said top coils, whereby when a load is placed on said top coils each spring is provided with a greater freedom of individual action than would be obtained if all the coils were pig ringed together in a straight line normal to the sides of said border frame.

ALEXANDER W. MOSKE. 

